The present invention relates to gas lighters, and more particularly to a gas lighter with dual safety mechanisms, which comprises a stop mechanism controlled by a lever to stop the ignition button of the gas lighter froml triggering the electric arc generator of the gas lighter and moving the gas lever of the fuel tank when opening the fuel gas outlet.
FIG. 1 illustrates a gas lighter according to the prior art. This structure of gas lighter l comprises a substantially rectangular handgrip 10 with a tube 12 at its one end, a fuel tank 14 and an electric arc generator 16 mounted inside the handgrip 10. The fuel tank 14 has a gas outlet 142 connected to a gas nozzle in the tube 12 (not shown) by a gas hose 144, and a gas lever 146 adapted to close/open the gas outlet 142. The handgrip 10 has an opening 18. An ignition button 19 is suspended in the handgrip 10 and partially projects out of the opening 18. The bottom side of the ignition button 19 faces the actuator 162 of the electric arc generator 16. The electric arc generator 162 has a first electrode connected to the 20 gas nozzle. and a second electrode (not shown) connected to the tube 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a stop mechanism 2 is provided between the ignition button 19 and the fuel tank 14 inside the handgrip 10. The stop mechanism 2 comprises a base frame 20 pivoted to the handgrip 10, a lever 22 inserted through a hole on the handgrip 10 and connected to the base frame 20, a first spring element 202 adapted to return the base frame 20 after the lever 22 has been pressed and then released, a link 24 slidably coupled to the base frame 20 and aimed at the ignition button 19, and a second spring element 242 adapted to return the link 24 after the link 24 has been pressed and then released. When turning the lever 22 of the stop mechanism 2 to move the link 24 to the fuel tank 14 and then pressing the ignition button 19, the link 24 is forced downwards against the gas lever 146, causing the fuel tank 14 to release fuel gas through the gas hose 144 to the gas nozzle, and at the same time the actuator 162 of the electric arc generator 16 is triggered to generate an electric arc around the gas nozzle, and therefore a flame is produced at the gas nozzle. If the lever 22 of the stop mechanism 2 is not turned to the unlocking position before pressing the ignition button 19, the down stroke of the ignition button 19 can only trigger the electric arc generator 16 to generate an electric arc without opening the gas outlet 142 of the fuel tank 14. However, this design is still not satisfactory in function. Because the actuator 162 of the electric arc generator 16 will be triggered when pressing the ignition button 19 without turning the lever 22 of the stop mechanism 2 to the unlocking position the gas lighter 1 is still not safe in use. When a child plays with the gas lighter and presses the ignition button 19 by accident, a flame will be produced, and the flame may injure the child.
The invention has been accomplished to provide a safety gas lighter, which eliminates the aforesaid problem. According to one aspect of the present invention, the safety gas lighter comprises a spring supported actuating device, which is caused to drive a gas lever to open a fuel tank gas outlet and enable fuel gas to flow out of the fuel tank to a gas nozzle for burning when the user presses an ignition button to trigger an electric arc generator, and to produce an electric arc around the gas nozzle, and a locking lever assembly adapted to turn the actuating device between the operative position and the non-operative position. According to another aspect of the present invention, the locking lever assembly comprises a spring supported sliding member that can be engaged into a positioning hole in the handgrip of the safety gas lighter to lock the actuating device in the non-operative position. When locked, pressing the ignition button does not open the fuel tank to discharge fuel gas.